D-Day in your battle against sin

1 What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? 2 Absolutely not!
How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or are you unaware that all of us who were immersed into Christ Jesus were immersed into his death? 4 Therefore we were buried with him by immersion into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, (7 since a person who has died is freed from sin.) 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him. 10 For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin but! alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. 13 And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness. 14 For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under the law but under grace.

Romans 6:1-14

Introduction

June 6, 1944. D-Day. The world watched as thousands of Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy. The decisive battle that would turn the tide of World War II. The battle was fierce. The cost was high. But, in the end, victory was won. There’d be many more battles to come. But the outcome of the war was sealed on those blood stained beaches.

Winston Churchill, rallying the world to press on in the face of adversity, declared, This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.

Churchill’s words capture a profound truth—not just about war, but about the Christian life. Christ’s death and resurrection was spiritual D-Day. The power of sin was broken. Its dominion shattered. The war was won. And yet, the battle still rages. We still fight daily against the flesh. Against temptation. Against an enemy who refuses to surrender.

But take heart—sin no longer reigns over you. The tide has turned. You do not fight for victory—you fight from victory. Because, in Christ, your victory is already secured.

In Christ, wage war against your flesh, living as an instrument of righteousness.

1. Sin is not excused by grace (Romans 6:1-2a).
2. Sin has no power over you in Christ (Romans 6:2b-11).
3. Sin is conquered by righteousness (Romans 6:12-14).

Sin is not excused by grace

[P] 1 What should we say [FAI] then? [M] Should we continue [PAS] in sin [ἁμαρτία]
[Ed] so that grace [χάρις] may multiply [AAS]?
2 Absolutely not! [AMO 1, an unusual idiom]

Paul asks the question, What should we say then? Obviously, Romans 6 flows from Romans 5. What was Paul writing about in Romans 5? (we covered this last week.) In Romans 5:12-21, Paul’s main point was that sin was imputed – it was attributed, it was credited, it was pinned – to all in Adam. Yet God gives righteousness as a free gift, to who-so-ever believes in Christ.

At the height of his argument in Romans 5, Paul made the point, that while we got Adam’s sin, in Christ, we got all of God’s grace! And friends, God’s grace is greater than all my sin! – Grace is bigger! Grace is more! Grace is marvellous! – The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more (Romans 5:20). Where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more.

Now, in Romans 6 Paul wants you to understand, just because grace abounds doesn’t mean you get to sin more. Grace isn’t your free ticket to live however you like. Grace breaks sin; grace doesn’t permit sin. Grace covers sin; grace doesn’t tolerate sin.

That grace abounds is absolutely no excuse for believers to sin (Romans 6:1-2a).

But if grace is not a license to sin, what does grace actually accomplish? Paul’s answer is both profound and liberating: grace doesn’t just forgive sin—it shatters sin’s power. In Christ, sin is not merely pardoned; it is defeated. If you are in Him, you are no longer under sin’s dominion. Grace doesn’t leave you trapped in sin; it leads you out of it and into the freedom of new life. But how does this transformation happen? How is sin’s grip broken? Paul reveals the answer: You have died to sin and been raised with Christ. Your old self—the one enslaved to sin—has been crucified. A new life has begun, one marked by victory over sin and alive to God. This is the power of grace at work in you.

Sin has no power over you in Christ

1.) a.) How can we who died [AAI, ἀποθνῄσκω] to sin still live [FAI, ζάω] [in it]?
b.) [Q] 3 Or are you unaware [PAI, rhetorical]
[M] that all of us who were baptised/immersed [API 2, βαπτίζω] [into [εἰς] Christ Jesus]
[Ed] were baptised/immersed [API 2, βαπτίζω] [into [εἰς] his death [θάνατος]]?

Paul uses the illustration of baptism in Romans 6:3-4 to emphasize the believer’s union with Christ. Just as baptism involves going into the water, being submerged, and rising again, so too, at the moment of salvation, believers are immersed into Christ’s death and resurrection. This is not merely symbolic. Immersion with Christ signifies a fundamental change in identity. In Christ, we have died to sin. Throughout the rest of Romans 6:2b-11 this intimate union with Christ is the foundation of our freedom from sin’s power and our ability to live righteously to the glory of God.

2.) [∴] 4 Therefore [οὖν]
[M] we were buried [API 2] with him [by baptism/immersion] [into [εἰς] death], in order that,
[Ed] [/] just as Christ was raised [API 2, ἐγείρω] [from the dead] [by the glory of the Father],
[/] so we too may walk [AAS, περιπατέω] [in newness of life [ζωή]].

Believers walk in life having been immersed with Christ. This walk is the journey of life. Because we’ve been washed by the blood of the lamb, we are empowered to live righteously. We are transformed. We are metamorphosed. Once we were worms, but now we’re butterflies. And butterflies fly. They don’t squirm around on the ground. To continue in sin would be to deny the transformation of our new life. Walk! Live out the victory that has been secured for you in Him!

3.) [G] 5 For [C?] if we have been [RAI, first class] united with him in the likeness of his death,
[E] we will certainly also be [FMI] in the likeness of his resurrection [ἀνάστασις].

Believers are united with His resurrection as they are in Christ’s death. Christ death was not the end of His story. It was the gateway to His resurrection. The cross of Christ dealt with sin’s penalty, but the resurrection of Christ breaks sin’s power. The resurrection life that raised Christ from the dead now pulses through you spiritually. Stands in the triumph of the risen Christ.

4.) 6 For we know [PAP]
[M] that our old self was crucified with him [API 2, συσταυρόω]
[Ed] so that the body [σῶμα] ruled by sin might be rendered powerless [APS 2, καταργέω]
so that we may no longer be enslaved [PAN, δουλεύω] to sin,
[G] (7 since a person who has died [AAP] is freed [RPI 3, δικαιόω] [from sin].) [parenthetical]

Romans 6:6-7 describes believers as having once been slaves to sin but now as those who belong to righteousness. In the Roman world, a slave had no autonomy but was entirely subject to their master’s will. Paul’s point is clear, just as a slave cannot serve two masters, believers cannot live in partial obedience. They must be wholly committed to righteousness. This argument reinforces Romans 6:1-2a, where sin’s reign is decisively broken, and Romans 6:12-14, where Paul commands believers to actively resist sin. Later, in Romans 6:15-23, Paul contrasts unbelievers—who remain slaves to sin and death—with believers, who are slaves to God and righteousness. Because we are united with Christ, we must actively engage in the battle against our flesh, and strive to live righteously.

5.) 8 Now [C?] if [/] we died [AAI, ἀποθνῄσκω] [with Christ],
[E] we believe [PAI] that [/] we will also live [FAI, συζάω] with him,
9 because we know[ knowing [RAP 3] that Christ,
[M] having been raised [APP 2, ἐγείρω] [from the dead [νεκρός]],
[Ed] will not die [PAI, translated FAI, ἀποθνῄσκω] again.
Death [θάνατος] no longer rules over him [PAI, κυριεύω].

Paul’s argument culminates in Romans 6:8-9: believers are freed from death because Christ has conquered it. Bernard reminded me yesterday that this echoes back to Genesis 4:7, where sin is described as a predator, lurking at the door, seeking to dominate. But in Christ, sin’s dominion is broken. Death no longer rules over Him, and because believers are united with Him, it no longer rules over them either. Christ’s victory over sin is final, and His life is our life. This truth fuels our daily fight against sin—not striving for victory, but fighting from victory, already secured in Christ.

6.) [G] 10 For a.) the death he died [AAI, ἀποθνῄσκω], he died [AAI] to sin once for all time;
b.) [Adv] but the life he lives [PAI, ζάω], he lives [PAI] to God.
11 [Even] So, 1.) you too consider [PMM 4] yourselves [to be] [PAN, MMS addition] dead to sin
2.) [S] and/but! [emphatic] alive [PAP, ζάω] to God [in Christ Jesus].

Believers are alive to God because Christ died once and lives to God. There is no repeat sacrifice, no ongoing atonement. His victory over sin and death is complete and final. It is finished. And because we are united with Him, His death is our death, and His life is our life.

Because in Christ believers do not have to sin (Romans 6:2b-11).

Connect to the gospel

The gospel, is explicitly stated as the death and resurrection of Christ in Romans 6:4, 5, 8. In Romans 6:1-14 believers are immersed into Christ’s death and resurrection at the point of salvation, freeing them from sin and enabling them to live righteous lives.

Having established that believers are dead to sin and alive to God in Christ, Paul now issues a call to action: Live in this reality. If sin’s reign has been broken, why would you let it rule you? If you have died to sin, why would you live as though it still owns you?

Salvation is not the end of the story—it’s the beginning of a new battle. The war against sin is not over, but the decisive victory has already been won in Christ. Now, Paul gives us our marching orders: Do not let sin take the throne of your heart. Do not give it even an inch of ground. Instead, offer yourself to God as a weapon for righteousness, ready to fight from the victory Christ has already secured.

Application for believers

[∴] 12 Therefore [Note the shift from theological argument to moral imperatives]

This therefore marks Paul’s conclusion to the passage. He is shifting. From theological reasons why we no longer have to sin, to practical commands not to sin. Believers, this application is for you. Because sin has no power over you in Christ, here are three commands to live by:

a.) 1.) do not let sin reign [PAM 4] [in [εἰς] your mortal body], [so that you obey [PAN] its desires].

First of the three commands, do not let sin reign. Don’t let sin be the master and commander of your heart. Don’t let sin be your king. Don’t let sin rule over you. Don’t obey the desires of your flesh anymore. There was a time that sin was boss. But sin’s been fired. Don’t allow sin to act like sin still runs the office. Sin may attempt to regain the crown, but sin’s rule has been shattered. Christ has destroyed the tyranny of sin, you must not submit yourself to it again (paraphrase from John Chrysostom).

I don’t know your particular sins, but I do know you must fight against the desire to fall into them. And I know that in Christ you can. You can fight the desire for sexual immorality. The desire for idolatry. The desire for adultery. The desire for homosexuality. The desire for thievery. The desire for money. The desire for booze. The desire to be overly harsh. The desire to swindle. You don’t have to obey the desires of king Sin, because king Sin doesn’t rule and reign in your heart anymore. King Jesus does! This is a matter of the heart. The heart’s tendency is to drift toward sin’s control. Do not let sin sit on the seat of your heart. That throne belongs to Jesus alone!

2.) [S] 13 And do not offer [AAM 4] any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness.

Second of the three commands, do not offer any parts of [your body] to sin. Don’t get involved in sin. Do not offer your thoughts to sin. Do not offer your actions to sin. Do not offer your attitudes to sin.

Remember Hansie Cronje? With his head in his hands, crying? Saying, The Devil made me do it?

Paul says, No! Take responsibility man! It’s not the Devil. It’s you! You made you do it! And you need to stop it doing it. Stop giving sin space to operate in your life.

Practically, that will mean that the adulterer confesses, repents, and terminates their adulterous relationship. The idolater confesses, repents, and destroys their idol. The alcoholic confesses, repents, and stops going to the bar or the bottle store. As Martin Luther said, You must wage continual war against sin and resist it strongly.

b.) [A] But as those who are alive [PAP] [from the dead],
offer [PAM 4] 1.) yourselves to God,
2.) [S] and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness.
[G] 14 For sin will not rule over [FAI, grounding statement] you,
[G] because you are [PAI] not
a.) [under the law [νόμος]]
b.) [A] but [under grace [χάρις]].

Third of three commands, offer yourself to God. Put sin off. put righteousness on. There is no neutrality in this war. Don’t be a weapon in the hands of Satan, be a weapon in the hands of God. Be an instrument. Be a tool. That’s what grace does. Grace takes a sinner, and makes him a saint. Grace takes an evil doer and makes him a righteous weapon in the hands of the redeemer.

Believers must battle sin, offering themselves to God as weapons for righteousness (Romans 6:12-14).

Application for unbelievers

1. You sin because you are under sin’s power (Romans 6:1-2a). Sin isn’t just something you do—it’s the power that rules over you. You are enslaved to it, trapped under its dominion. And no amount of effort, morality, or good works can free you. This is why you need Jesus—He has conquered sin.

The only way to break sin’s power is to be united to Christ (Romans 6:2b-11). When you believe in Him, you are immersed into His death—the old self crucified, the body of sin rendered powerless. And you are raised with Him to new life, freed from sin’s dominion. Trust Him to do what you cannot do.

2. The lifelong battle for righteousness begins with the enabling presence of Christ in you (Romans 6:12-14). Salvation is not the end—it’s the beginning. Now, you fight from victory, not for victory. The Spirit of God is in you, empowering you to live in righteousness. So rest in Him. Depend on His strength. Offer yourself to God as a weapon for righteousness.

3. Sin is real. Its power is unbreakable—unless you are in Christ. But Christ has conquered sin and calls you to Himself. Will you remain under sin’s rule, or will you surrender to the Savior? Trust Him today. Be freed. Be transformed. The battle is won. Step into His victory.

Conclusion

June 6, 1944. D-Day. The world watched as the tide of war shifted. Victory was not yet fully realised. But victory was no longer in any doubt. The decisive battle had been fought. And won.

And so it is with you. In Christ, your D-Day has already come. Sin’s power has been broken. Death’s grip has been shattered. The enemy has been defeated. But the battle is not over yet.

This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.

So fight. Wage war against sin. Live as a weapon for righteousness. Because, in Christ, the victory is already yours.

1. Sin is not excused by grace (Romans 6:1-2a).
2. Sin has no power over you in Christ (Romans 6:2b-11).
3. Sin is conquered by righteousness (Romans 6:12-14).

In Christ, wage war against your flesh, living as an instrument of righteousness.

Amen.